Seam-dampener.



no. 715,295. ,Patented Der.. 9; |902. w. H. mcKEY. A

SEAM DAMPENEB.

{Applicaton led Feb. 16, 1901.;

(No Mndel.)

UNITED STATES PATENT (")rricin WILLIAM HENRY RICKEY, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

SEANi-DAM PEN ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part 0f Letters Patent No. 715,296, dated December 9, 1902.

Application filed February 16,1901. Serial No. 47,551. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, it may cor/teem:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM HENRY RICKEY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of East Orange, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Seam-Dampeners, of which the following is a specification. v

My invention relates to laundry machinery, especially to that class of devices known as seam-dampeners.

The object of my invention is to furnish a compact, light, and economical device capable of more rapid and easy work than is attainable with present devices.

The device in one forni is so small that it can be easily carried in the pocket or attached to the Waist Without hindering the operator.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through the dampener, showing the arrangement of the various parts. Fig. 2 is a section through the feeding portion on the line :r a: of Fig. l; Fig. 3, a view of the elastic portion, showing how the felt is held in position; and Fig. 4, a view of the dampener in combination with its reservoir, making it capable of long service without refilling.

In the drawings, A is the body of the dam- `pener, made hollow to contain the darn pening fluid; B,.a needle-valve for governing the flow of the moistening duid to the mass of absorbent material C.

D is a spring, of brass or other suitable' metal, for retaining the felt C in position and for another purpose, hereinafter set forth.

A is the portion of the dampener for receiving the spring-retainer and absorbent material.

O is a chamber above the felt for insuring an even distribution of the liquid to the felt.

F is a thumb-screw for closing the top of the receptacle A, provided with a slit G, cut across the threads of the screw and connected with a recessed base cut close to the head F to regulate the admission of' air to the chamber A, and consequently control, in combination with the needle-valve B, the iiow of liquid.

I is a reservoir furnished with an air-pump .I and a filling-capii; L, aiexible tube adapted to be attached to the dampenerAthrough the intermediation of the screw-threaded tube M, controlled by the valve N.l The tubeLis designed for the purpose of conveying the liquid contained in the reservoirItothe damponer, the flow of liquid through the same being regulated by the valve N. The reservoir is filled with liquid throughfthe opening covered by the cap K and is supplied with air under pressure by the air-pump'J. The compressed air in said reservoir forces the liquid therefrom through the tube L to the dampener A.

The operation is easily understood from the drawings. The needle-valve B is closed by turning up the thumb-screw B and the thumb-screw F removed, when the chamber A is filled with the moistening fluid. The felt or other absorbent material is encircled by the spring D and inserted into the end A'. The thu mb-screw F is then replaced and turned up,so as to close the chamber A. The needle-valve is opened tothe lproper extent and the screw F unscrewedacertain distance, whenthe air enters and fluid flows into the chamber O, saturating the felt. The feltholding portion and the fluid-receptacle portion are set at such an angle to each other as to allow the operator by a projecting finger to guide the dampener along the collar or other seam to be moistened. The object of the spring brass holderV for the felt is twofoldfirst, to furnish a firm support therefor, and, second, to counteract the tendency of the operator to hold the dampener at an angle instead of upright, since the operator will at once notice the contact of thebrass with the material operated 'upon and hold his dampener erect. As the felt Wearsthe brass will recede longitudinally into the chamber A', always, however, firmly supporting the edges of the felt and insuring an even Wearing of the same.

A great advantage of my form of dampener is illustrated in. Fig. 4, which shows an arrangement by which the device can be used for a day without running out of dampening duid. For this I provide a receptacle which can be filled with any desired amount of liquid and that liquid subjected to air-pressure by means of the air-pump J. A flexible IOO tube connects the reservoir With the attachment M, and the valve N then takes the place of the thumb-screwr F of Fig. l.

Having thus fully described and illustrated my invention, what I claim isl. In a seam-dampener, the combination of a handle forming the liquidreceptacle,a regulating-valve controlling the liquid-supply of said receptacle, a felt-holding portion provided With a distributing-chamber, an absorbent material embraced and held in place by an automatically-yielding holder, and a needle-Valve for distributing the liquid to the absorbent material, substantially as set forth.

2. In a seam-dampener having a felt-receiving portion at its discharge end, a mass of absorbent material, and a holder for retaining the absorbent material in said felt-receiving portion, the said holder being automatically movable longitudinally in said felt-receiving portion, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a seam-dampener having a felt-receiving said absorbent material therein, thesaid spring being automatically movable longitudinally in said felt-receiving portion,as and for the purpose set forth.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 12th day of February, A. D. 1901.

WILLIAM HENRY RICKEY.

Witnesses:

D. N. HURLBUT, A. SrErsoN. 

